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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26685691">The Beach</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/kkei2/pseuds/flightofancy'>flightofancy (kkei2)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Awkward Flirting, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Kissing, Lesbian Azula (Avatar), Slow Dancing, Useless Lesbian Azula (Avatar)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 03:42:05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,895</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26685691</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/kkei2/pseuds/flightofancy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Requested by a friend.<br/>After her failure with Chan, Azula goes to Ty Lee for more advice about dating. Ty Lee is happy to demonstrate.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Azula/Ty Lee (Avatar)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>93</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Beach</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I just wanted to see more of Azula trying to act like a normal teenager + being an awkward lesbian so here we go. An AU where Azula finally allows herself a little vulnerability and just gets to actually experience an emotion other than anger for once.😭</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>From the moment she could talk Azula had been trained for all sorts of occasions, from war room council meetings to tea ceremonies to wedding banquets. She had learned the ins and outs of diplomatic speech and how to wrap even the most reluctant of nobles and bureaucrats around her little finger. Despite all those years of training, all those hours spent analysing and calculating and scheming, nothing could have prepared her for this.<br/>
Azula hated parties, especially ones like this. Ones not thrown in ballrooms and banquet halls, but in the beach house of some military official, off on the frontlines and oblivious to the fact that his son was currently hosting fifty-some Fire Nation teens in their living room. Azula wished she were on a battlefield now, because at least there she knew what she was doing. She scanned the crowd around her, seeking out potential threats. Young men and women mingled together, chatting and drinking and swaying slightly to the drumbeat coming from down on the beach. A couple of them glanced her way, but there was no spark of recognition in their eyes, none of the usual fear and reverence that usually entered people’s expression when they saw the princess of the Fire Nation.<br/>
Her gaze settled on a corner of the room, where a group of young men was gathered, and at the center… Ty Lee was smiling brightly, as easy and laid back as ever. She seemed to bask in the attention of the boys around her. Until today, Azula had thought there was no better way to get what you want than intimidation a force, but after seeing the way that Ty Lee ensnared these men and made even the most stoic of them her servant, she was beginning to have second thoughts. It was with a great degree of satisfaction that Azula watched the acrobat take out her crowd of admirers with a few swift jabs. Ty Lee made her way across the room towards her, hips swaying as she weaved through the throng of partygoers with all her usual grace.<br/>
“I think this might be getting a little too much for me,” Ty Lee admitted, taking her place beside the princess.<br/>
“But I thought you liked getting all that attention,” Azula replied smoothly. “Is that not why you wanted to come to another one of these idiotic parties? For more validation?”<br/>
Ty Lee winced slightly. Clearly their conversation on the beach the night before was still fresh in her mind.<br/>
“I came here because I might meet some new people,” she said sheepishly. “Someone who could join in our beach ball games or something.”<br/>
Azula bristled instantly, Ty Lee cringing away from her as if she expected a blow. “Are we not enough for you? Am I not enough for you?” the princess hissed.<br/>
Ty Lee bunched her shoulders. “Of course not. I just —” Her eyes flashed suddenly. “Ah, you’re jealous again, aren’t you?” She grinned, leaning towards Azula. Before the princess could say anything Ty Lee continued, “But aren’t you mingling a bit yourself? I heard from one of the guys that you and Chan…” She elbowed Azula in the side cheekily. Azula bit her cheek, caught between smacking Ty Lee and being compelled by the big-eyed puppy dog look that the girl was giving her. Apparently men were not the only ones Ty Lee was capable of working her charms on. Azula noted that, noted the times that Ty Lee had used this on her before. It was a weakness, and one she should excise quickly before someone else noted and exploited it.<br/>
For now, however, she answered tersely, “My attempts at courting Chan were… unsuccessful. I got as far as kissing him, but apparently he was blind to the potentials of our union and did not take up the offer to be my consort.”<br/>
Ty Lee let out an exaggerated sigh. “I should have expected that.”<br/>
“Expected what?” Azula asked coldly, arching her eyebrow. She was lucky to have Ty Lee as an ally, because there were times when she simply could not decipher the meanings behind the acrobat’s actions.<br/>
“It’s just —” Ty Lee interrupted herself with a giggle. “You treat dating the same way you treat an Agni Kai, princess. Guys like Chan aren’t looking for a marriage alliance, they’re just looking for some fun. You won’t get anywhere if you set the stakes too high from the beginning.”<br/>
“Hmmm.” Azula contemplated this. She was going to smack Ty Lee for this later, definitely, but it was true that the other girl knew significantly more about boys than her, at least when it came to romance. Taking inventory, Azula wasn’t sure what she did know about boys. Some of them were large and strong, ideal soldiers as long as they were made obedient. Some were manipulators, drawing you in with pretty words and promise but always with ulterior motives in mind. Yes, she knew a great deal about boys — but in terms of courting? Her tutors had given her some instruction on the matter once she was of a certain age, but she knew well that the teachings of the tutors were often close-minded and outdated, not suited for her personal smash-and-grab approach. Ty Lee’s previous advice had gotten her farther than she’d gotten by herself, so Azula made a calculated move.<br/>
“It would appear I have much to learn,” she said carefully, only as vulnerable as she would allow herself to be.<br/>
Ty Lee appeared delighted by this statement. She clapped her hands delightedly and said, “Are you going to get back out there, then? There shouldn’t be any problem with you finding someone, princess. You’re the most beautiful girl in all the Fire Nation, after all. Any guy would be lucky for you to so much as look at him.”<br/>
Azula smiled. She was used to this sort of flattery, of course, but there was something particularly satisfying to hear it from Ty Lee. Perhaps it was because Ty Lee was so beautiful herself, as evidenced by the attention men gave her, and it was pleasing to think that Azula was even greater than that.<br/>
“Of course. But there is still the problem of my —” She gestured vaguely, not wanting to speak the words out loud again in case they also might be exploited.<br/>
Ty Lee tilted her head. “You want me to teach you more about talking to boys. Alright. Let’s do it like last time. I’ll be the guy, and you talk to me. Just try to keep it casual. No mentioning marriage or anything until at least the third date.” She leaned against the wall, and in that same pantomime of a male voice she said, “Hey there, baby. How you doing tonight?”<br/>
Azula ran a list of possible responses through her head. Keep it casual, she reminded herself. Ty Lee was watching her, braid falling across her shoulder as she leaned against the wall, an unreadable expression dancing in her eyes. She was uncharacteristically still, smiling as usual but clearly taking her role as mentor quite seriously. For some reason Azula hesitated. Not because she didn’t know what to say, no, this was… something else.<br/>
“I am...doing quite well, thank you,” she said stiffly. It was neutral enough. Ty Lee gave her a little nod.<br/>
“You look good in that dress,” she said, voice low. “Real good.”<br/>
“I —” Azula had never heard Ty Lee talk like this before, false pitch aside. Her gaze was so intense, unafraid of sweeping her eyes to where Azula’s outfit exposed her bare stomach. Perhaps she was taking this act a little bit too far. “Yes. I had it made in the capital. Hand tailored. What do you want?”<br/>
Ty Lee shook her head. “Nope. You can’t be so accusatory. You can still be demanding, still be cold because there are guys that are into that, but you can’t talk to him like you’re going to call the guards on him.”<br/>
Azula sulked. “Fine then. What do you want?” she asked, lightening her tone and trying to be as sweet and sugary as possible. She thought she was doing quite a good job of it, too, until she caught Ty Lee’s look.<br/>
“Never mind,” Ty Lee said, before slipping back into her exaggerated pose. “Can I get you a drink, babe?”<br/>
“I’m not thirsty.”<br/>
“What? No — Princess.” Ty Lee straightened again. “Fine. Do you want to dance, then?”<br/>
Dancing had an odd place in the culture of the Fire Nation. Certain ceremonial and traditional dances remained, but by and large music and dance served one purpose — to ready oneself for war. The beating of war drums and the bleating of horns was not meant to compel one to dance, but rather to inspire a love of one’s nation and stir their heart for battle. Still, that did not stop Fire Nation teens, especially the wealthier ones, from finding ways to enjoy themselves. Azula herself had never danced apart from the formal steps she had learned in the palace. Acquiring a new skill was never something she’d turn down, so she accepted her friend’s proffered hand.<br/>
Ty Lee pulled Azula into the center of the room, where she placed her hands firmly on Azula's shoulder and waist. The contact sent a bolt of tension down Azula's spine and she instinctively moved to throw her opponent to the ground, but Ty Lee shook her head and guided Azula's hands to her shoulders.<br/>
"You don't have to learn any steps," Ty Lee assured her. "Just sway."<br/>
Azula breathed deeply, the heat of Ty Lee's body something entirely unfamiliar. No one had held her close like this. Not since her mother left. For a moment the memory left her breathless with anger, before she felt Ty Lee's warm hand against her cheek, grounding her in the moment.<br/>
Ty Lee was looking at her with those big round eyes of hers, and for once there was not even the slightest glint of fear there. The acrobat smiled, something bittersweet in the tilt of her lips.<br/>
"I never thought I'd see this," she said softly. "Princess Azula, dancing. With me!"<br/>
Azula opened her mouth, prepared to offer some cruel remark, but the words melted on her tongue. She wasn't thinking straight, her head spinning as Ty Lee twirled her around. Ty Lee’s movements were so graceful, so confident, like she knew exactly who she was, what she was doing. And she was grinning as they drew together, grinning like a girl who knew she was being admired.<br/>
"So," Ty Lee asked. "Do you think you know how to dance with a boy now?"<br/>
"Y-Yes," Azula replied, her head still foggy. It was the heat, or maybe something in the drinks. Surely no one had laced the punch with cactus juice… "Is there anything else you'd care to teach me?"<br/>
She wasn't sure why she asked. Normally she probably would've just ordered Ty Lee to divulge information, so that there was no confusion as to who held the power in this situation.<br/>
Ty Lee’s grin went cheeky.<br/>
"Oh...I guess there's one more thing. Say, where did you go with Chan the other night? When you kissed."<br/>
Azula gestured over at the door on the other side of the room that led out onto a balcony.<br/>
"Alright. Well, let's have a little do over."</p><p>             Ty Lee led Azula out onto the balcony, the cool sea breeze making Azula shiver. The sounds of the party dropped away behind them as the two girls looked out over the dark sand. It was here, with the waves crashing in the distance, that Azula realised how nice it was, for once, to not be Princess of the Fire Nation, but a normal fourteen year old girl. Father wasn't here. Whatever she did on this island, it didn't matter what Father thought of it.<br/>
Ty Lee leaned over the balcony, the slightly breeze fluttering her hair. She looked impossibly young—the same age as Azula. This was where girls like Ty Lee were meant to be. Not on the warpath.<br/>
"So tell me how it went with Chan," Ty Lee prompted, turning to look at her.<br/>
"Well…" Azula stood for a moment, just listening to the waves. She felt limp, drained of the usual hum of anger that got her out of bed in the morning. "He was talking, and I was laughing…"<br/>
She glanced over at Ty Lee, who was right beside her now. Ty Lee slid a hand over Azula's.<br/>
"And then… we kissed. Just like that."<br/>
"Hmmm," Ty Lee murmured, before leaning in and kissing Azula on the mouth.<br/>
Azula had been expecting it, but it still knocked all the air from her lungs. The flame that had flickered out when she had let go of her anger suddenly reignited, nearly knocking Azula over. She blazed with heat, real heat, that burned with a different intensity than anger. Ty Lee was softer than Chan, she thought. And nicer smelling. The kiss was gentle, their lips pressed tenderly together. Ty Lee's other hand went to her waist. No one had ever touched Azula like this, been this sweet and tender. Not Chan, not her own mother.<br/>
And just like that, the tear slid out. Azula pulled away, prepared to push Ty Lee aside and hide her face, but Ty Lee clutched her arms, keeping her there, and Azula was no longer able to hold it in.<br/>
The tears streamed out of her eyes, tears of anger, tears of guilt, tears of shame. Tears of loneliness and confusion and tears of longing. The more she cried, the more disgusted with herself she became, and the more powerful her sobs. She hated herself for crying like this, for letting Ty Lee see her like this. The tears burned hot and angry down the side of her face.<br/>
Ty Lee said nothing, just a single, soft, "Azula." Not princess. Just Azula.<br/>
Why was she still here, holding her like this? Azula had screamed at her, scared her, threatened her. She had every right to hate her, so why was she still here? Azula was a monster, just like Ursa had said. She was a weak, miserable monster, who turned to jelly at the touch of another girl's lips.<br/>
"Don't leave me," Azula snarled, but her voice came out as hoarse and strangled. It was not the voice of a commanding princess, but of desperation and loss. "Don't leave me."<br/>
Her nails dug into the flesh of Ty Lee's arms, but instead of pushing her away, Ty Lee clutched her wrists and brought her hands to her face. It was not a gesture of submission, but one of someone who held no fear.<br/>
"It's okay," Ty Lee said, but there was a tightness to her words. "I'm not going anywhere."<br/>
Azula sniffled as her tears at last ran dry. She dropped her hands from Ty Lee and backed away.<br/>
"I— Pretend you saw nothing, alright?"<br/>
"Alright," Ty Lee responded, her words empty again.<br/>
Azula caught the disappointed look in the girl's expression and her heart constricted. She was the princess of the fire nation, so didn't that mean she deserved whatever she wanted? And since she was also a girl, barely more than a child, what she wanted was…<br/>
She was the one who went to Ty Lee this time, pressing her lips to her own. She was nowhere near as graceful as Ty Lee had been about it, and their teeth clacked together at first, but then Azula felt Ty Lee smile slightly and her rib cage felt like it was going to explode.<br/>
They pulled apart at last when they needed to catch their breath, shyly holding each others' hands. Why they were feeling sheepish now, Azula couldn't explain, but her heart was fluttering in a way she'd never felt before. The urge to lash out, to defend herself from these strange feelings was still there, clawing at the inside of her chest, but Ty Lee’s slender hands grasping hers was enough to hold the beast at bay. For now at least.<br/>
"I—" Ty Lee blinked. "So yeah. That's basically how to get a guy."<br/>
"Men," Azula sneered. "I have no need for them, aside from in my army. Girls, however?" She squeezed Ty Lee's hands. "I think I could do with a few of them."<br/>
Ty Lee blushed. "What, am I not enough?" she giggled, a callback to their conversation that must've been just a few minutes ago.<br/>
"Hmmm. I guess you’ll do." Azula tilted her head and Ty Lee laughed.<br/>
"Your aura is so pink right now, princess. It...suits you."<br/>
Azula took the girl's hand as they walked back into the party, her face still buzzing.<br/>
"You look so cute when you're blushing," Ty Lee whispered.<br/>
"I—" Azula bit her tongue. "You—you do too. You always look cute."<br/>
She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she glanced over at Ty Lee.<br/>
The girl positively gleamed.<br/>
"Azula! Ty Lee!" a voice called. Zuko was striding towards them, Mai trailing despondently behind him. "Where have you been?"<br/>
"We were just learning a little more about the mysteries of this island," Azula replied, intertwining her fingers with Ty Lee’s. "It appears Li and Lo were correct after all."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for reading!! This was just a super short and self indulgent thing to break my writer's block. I have plans for a similar little Mailee fic but I also have a much more ambitious Korrasami historical fiction piece in the works, and I hope to get those out to you soon!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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